Central African Republic
=Overview= ;Capital City : The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix Patasee's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois Bozize, who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General Bozize was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Unrest in neighboring nations, Chad, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well. Geography Situated about 500 mi (805 km) north of the equator, the Central African Republic is a landlocked nation bordered by Cameroon, Chad, the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Congo. The Ubangi and the Shari are the largest of many rivers. Jungle to the South, Grasslands and steps to North. The Central African Republic is in essence an undulating plateau. Central and south is a series of forested, rolling hills, with some topping 2000 ft. A dense tropical rainforest in the southeast fronts the Ubangi River, and in the north, the land flattens into a treeless, desert-like savanna grassland. On the western border with Cameroon the land rises into the high granite plateau of the Karre Mountains. The Bongos Massif in the far northeast extends into Sudan. Numerous tributaries of the Chair (Shari) and Longone rivers crisscross the land, central and north, while the Ubangi River system dominates the south, as it forms much of the country's southern border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Climate April through October is the rainy season, and in the southern part of the country, annual amounts exceed 70 inches, and severe flooding is commonplace. The north is much drier, but some areas do receive near 30 inches of rainfall. Countrywide, temperatures are hot with very high humidity. Overall, mean high temperatures are in the mid 80s, however, daily highs are often in the high 90s, especially in the north. Lows average in the high 60s. Government ;United Nations Protectorate; The Central African Republic is divided into three parts: *The Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) control the Northeastern part of the country. ::The UFDR consists of three allies, the Groupe d'action patriotique pour la liberation de Centrafrique (GAPLC), the Mouvement des libérateurs Centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ), and the Front démocratique Centrafricain (FDC). *The forces loyal to Touadéra and the LRA control the Southeastern part of the country. *The United Nations Peacekeepers caught in-between them, controlling the capital and key locations in the central parts of the country. History From the 16th to 19th century, the people of this region were ravaged by slave traders. The Banda, Baya, Ngbandi, and Azande make up the largest ethnic groups. The French occupied the region in 1894. As the colony of Ubangi-Shari, what is now the Central African Republic was united with Chad in 1905. In 1910 it was joined with Gabon and the Middle Congo to become French Equatorial Africa. After World War II a rebellion in 1946 forced the French to grant self-government. In 1958 the territory voted to become an autonomous republic within the French Community, and on Aug. 13, 1960, President David Dacko proclaimed the republic's independence from France. Dacko moved the country politically into Beijing's orbit, but he was overthrown in a coup on Dec. 31, 1965, by Col. Jean-Bédel Bokassa, army chief of staff. On Dec. 4, 1976, the Central African Republic became the Central African Empire. Marshal Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who had ruled the republic since he took power in 1965, was declared Emperor Bokassa I. Brutality and excess characterized his regime. He was overthrown in a coup on Sept. 20, 1979. Former president David Dacko returned to power and changed the country's name back to the Central African Republic. An army coup on Sept. 1, 1981, deposed President Dacko again. In 1991, President André Kolingba, under pressure, announced a move toward parliamentary democracy. In elections held in Aug. 1993, Prime Minister Ange-Félix Patassé defeated Kolingba. Part of Patassé's popularity rested on his pledge to pay the back salaries of the military and civil servants. A 1994 economic upturn was too small to effectively improve the catastrophic financial condition of the nation. Patassé was unable to pay the salaries due to government workers, and the military revolted in 1996. At Patassé's request, French troops suppressed the uprising. In 1998 the United Nations sent an all-African peacekeeping force to the country. In elections held in Sept. 1999, amid widespread charges of massive fraud, Patassé easily defeated Kolingba. Patassé survived a coup attempt in May 2001, but two years later, in March 2003, he was overthrown by Gen. François Bozizé. After two years of military rule, presidential elections were held, and Bozizé won in what international monitors called a free and fair election. In May 2007, the International Criminal Court began investigating war crimes that were allegedly committed in 2002 and 2003 during civil unrest that followed the attempted coup against Patassé. Instead of resigning, Prime Minister Elie Dote disbands the parliament as elements of the federal army detain key members, a day before Parliament was set to debate a censure motion against Dote. Faustin Archange Touadéra and loyal army units flee into the jungle and joined forces with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony. Three days later Dote declares himself President. 2009 Civil War In early 2008 The United Nations, having learned from the other debacles in Africa, sent peacekeepers in quickly, three battalions of peacekeepers from the European Union, the African Union, China, NATO and the Australian / New Zealand alliance. Before the UN troops where fully deployed, the LRA assaulted the capital city of Bangui. After being repulsed from the capital by Dote’s forces the LRA troops took up positions near the towns Bossangoa and Bouar. Janjawid militia forces, supplied and supported by communist rebels from Sudan, used the chaos to take the opportunity to flood over the Sudanese border to claim the land along that border. After two years the fighting had quieted down with forces loyal to Dote controlling most of the country. Touadéra and the LRA control the area around the Karre mountains. When Dote’s forces attack the UN peacekeepers outside of the town of Mbaiki the UN Peacekeepers oust Dote from the capital. The remnants of Dote’s forces flee to Bambari joining the Janjawid controlling that area. The sides settle in with the Janjawid to the Southeast and forces loyal to Touadéra to the Northwest and the United Nations caught in-between them. UN monitored elections were scheduled for the Fall of 2011, but world events made this impossible. Adventures * UN Mission Map Category:Africa Campaign 3rd Edition